


Sisters

by heyitsnxel



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Canon Death/Injuries, Light Angst, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-22
Updated: 2019-03-22
Packaged: 2019-11-28 04:10:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18203333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyitsnxel/pseuds/heyitsnxel
Summary: Vanya wondered if, on the day they were born, the universe decided to give Allison all the charisma for the two of them.





	Sisters

Sometimes, when her siblings were away and Vanya was alone, she’d sneak into Allison’s room and go through her closet. She’d let her fingers ghost over the dresses that hung there, watching as the fabric wrinkled underneath until she chose one and slipped it on over her clothes. She’d open Allison’s makeup, dusting her cheeks with just enough blush that no one would notice except herself, patting a little bit of shimmer across her eyelids.  She’d pull her hair out of her usual ponytail and let it fall over her shoulders, maybe borrowing one of Allison’s hair bands.

 

And then Vanya would look in the mirror and frown. She would always frown. Because right next to the mirror was a magazine with Allison right on the cover. Her curls were almost as wild as her smile and Vanya wanted to take a curling iron to her own straight locks. The pink dress she was wearing popped against her skin and made Vanya question the dull blue one she had chosen for herself. The light reflecting off the sparkles on Allison’s face made her look like an actual angel. Vanya just looked like a child playing in her mother’s things. 

 

Vanya knew she’d never be Allison. She’d never grace the covers of magazines. No one would sit her down in a chair and dote over her hair and makeup. She’d never be interviewed or photographed or even cared about. She’d definitely never look half as beautiful as her sister managed to do every day. But, was it wrong for her to want to? 

 

Sometimes Vanya would swipe a bottle of Allison’s nail polish, messily applying it to her fingers in the quiet of her own room. It looked terrible and she’d always pick it off before breakfast the next morning. But in the moment, it made her feel normal.

 

* * *

 

Vanya startled as a camera flashed in her face. 

 

“You’re part of The Umbrella Academy, right?”

 

“I, uh -”

 

Her Father swooped in, directing the man towards Allison who was beaming in light of the random people invading her personal space. Her hair was pulled back halfway, curls cascading over her shoulders. Words like  _ beautiful, stunning, gorgeous  _ were shouted her way with every camera flash and even though Vanya agreed, she couldn’t help the jealousy that bubbled up in the pit of her stomach.

 

Ever since the infamous bank robbery, the Umbrella Academy had become somewhat of a spectacle. It wasn’t unusual to wake up to a few people hiding on the street near their home with a camera. It didn’t surprise anyone when they were stopped on the street, microphones shoved in their faces with questions children most definitely didn’t have an answer for. 

 

Vanya always lingered near the back if she was even allowed to go at all. She was embarrassing to the Academy. She was too normal to be associated with them. Reginald made sure she knew that. He made sure there was punishment if she ever spoke to any media. She was to remain silent.

 

Allison took the lead as the girl of the group. Interviewers loved her quick wit, her charm, the way she spoke so candidly (even though Vanya knew she was lying). Even her brothers seemed pleased with how she handled the press. While Klaus was notorious for saying the wrong things at the wrong times and Luther for freezing up and not saying  _ anything _ ,  Allison was quick to swoop in and save the day. She always knew what to say, how to dress, where to look. Her pictures came out flawless and were plastered on the walls with the many other magazines covers the Umbrella Academy possessed. Even in their large family portrait, Allison stole the spotlight. It was hard for people to not notice Allison. She had such a large presence in every room that Vanya wondered if, on the day they were born, the universe decided to give Allison all the charisma for the two of them.

 

* * *

 

They were adults now. Vanya hadn’t spoken to Allison in years, but she’d seen her. Fame was a good look on her sister. She was born for the spotlight and despite the pang of envy she felt, Vanya couldn’t help but be proud. Whether it was the commercials she started in or the movies that truly shaped her career as a woman of Hollywood, Vanya made sure she never missed them.

 

Sometimes, Vanya would go to the premieres. She’d never go too far, hesitating on the sidewalk across the road, hidden in the crowd of fans that were there for drastically different reasons. She loved to watch Allison emerge from her car, gown flowing behind her as she was blinded by camera flashes. She loved to watch her interact with her fans, swirling her signature across whatever she was handed like she was born to do it.

 

Maybe she was.

 

Allison never saw Vanya. But Vanya definitely saw Allison.

 

* * *

Their father was dead. Vanya wanted to feel sad, but she didn’t. Reginald Hargreeves was a horrible man and Vanya wasn’t surprised at her lack of emotion over his passing. She was, however, anxious about her siblings. 

 

Over their years apart, they’d drifted. Vanya had done her best to keep up with them all, whether they knew it or not, but no one bothered with her. She was used to it. But, there was something about walking into the house that sent her body rigid and her blood to ice.

 

_ They hated her. _

_ They didn’t want her there. _

_ She didn’t belong.  _

_ The book was a mistake.  _

 

“Vanya?” Allison called, pulling Vanya out of her own head. “You’re actually here.”

 

Vanya watched Allison descend the staircase, letting her lips quirk up for the briefest of a second.

 

“Hey, Allison.”

 

“Hey, Sis.”

 

The silence was awkward as Allison approached her, but the hug was almost worse. Vanya wasn’t sure what to do with her hands, her body. Should she be saying something? Yet, despite all of that, Allison was warm. Even as an adult, she still possessed the same spirit of calm that Vanya so desperately wanted. 

 

She pulled away, lips parted to speak, but Diego burst in the room and interjected, ruining her chance.

 

“What is _she_ doing here?”

 

It surprised Vanya how quick Allison was to defend her, to tell Diego she belonged there just as much as the rest of them. Diego clearly wasn’t in the mood for an argument. He disappeared up the stairs with a quip about Allison’s clothing and they were alone again.

 

“Maybe he’s right,” Vanya started, backing away. “I-I shouldn’t be here.”

 

“Forget about him.” Allison’s voice held so much intensity that Vanya froze on the spot.  “I’m glad you’re here.”

* * *

 

 

 

There was blood on her hands and a dead body on the floor below her.

 

_ Allison  _ was dead. There was blood spilling down the front of her shirt, the light in her eyes was gone, and it was all because of Vanya. It was all because she couldn’t control herself. She couldn’t stop for a second and think about what Allison was saying. She was impulsive,  _ stupid, useless.  _ She was even more of a disappointment now than she was without her powers.

 

The bow in her hand felt heavy. She didn’t hesitate to throw it to the side. 

 

-

 

Vanya’s powers thrummed through her body, encasing every _bone_ , every _nerve_ , every _cell_. She walked down the halls of The Umbrella Academy, her eyes falling into every room she passed, littering her mind with unpleasant memories.

 

‘ _ You have to have a power to go on a mission, Vanya.’ _

 

‘ _ What do you want, Vanya?” _

 

‘ _ Vanya! Get out of here!” _

 

The house was a prison. Literally and metaphorically. Even after Reginald died, the bunker below the Academy still caged her. She was never going to be locked up again.

 

Every step she took sent walls to the floor, shattering everything under the roof of the place she used to call home. She felt invincible, powerful, important. Her path stopped in the foyer, taking in a family portrait that she  _ obviously   _ wasn’t in. Allison was though. And, Allison forgave her. Allison knew she didn’t mean to hurt her and now Vanya was destroying the house they grew up in? She was taking away everything they had here? That was how Vanya was repaying her?

 

She walked out the door, the Academy crumbling the pieces in her wake.

 

* * *

 

Allison still came to her concert. The bandage across her throat sent Vanya’s head into a tailspin, threatening to make her play a wrong chord.

 

Allison’s smile calmed her down.

 

* * *

Things were different now. 

 

Vanya stood next to the paparazzi. Or more accurately, Vanya was getting jostled around by the paparazzi.  No one cast a second glance in her direction once they saw the badge dangling around her neck. It gave her access pretty much anywhere, Allison had told her as she placed it in Vanya’s hands. They both knew Vanya wouldn’t stray far from her side. She felt horribly out of place in the crowd, watching as celebrities she didn’t know sauntered down the carpet, posing as they’d so obviously been trained to do.

 

Yeah, this was definitely Allison’s scene.

 

Speaking of the devil, Vanya’s lip twitched as the car drove up and the passenger door opened, allowing Allison to step out. Her dress billowed behind her as she stepped out, waving towards the people on the street before even offering a single glance towards the photographers. It didn’t matter though, they were already shouting her name, demanding attention they didn’t deserve. 

 

“Who’s with you tonight?” One reporter asked. Surprisingly, Allison stopped.

 

“My sister!” Allison beamed, catching Vanya’s eyes behind the barrier. “She’s a little camera shy, so she’s making me walk the carpet alone tonight.”

 

The inside of Vanya’s chest felt warm as Allison grinned at her, she motioned for Vanya to follow and she was quickly whisked away by one of her sister’s many assistants. 

 

* * *

 

“You didn’t have to tell him” was the first thing out of Vanya’s mouth as she met her sister away from all the people.

 

“I know,” Allison smiled. “But, I wanted too. You look beautiful, Vanya.”

 

Vanya forced an awkward chuckle, looking down at the leather pumps Allison had given her earlier. 

 

_ (‘Heels and a suit are a look, Vanya. Trust me on this, okay?’ _ _  
_

_ Vanya wouldn’t have trusted anyone else. She’d been watching Allison develop a fashion sense she never had since they were children.) _

 

“You’re one to talk. I don’t - I don’t know how you deal with all the…”

 

“Attention?” Allison supplied.

 

“Yeah, that.”

 

Allison’s face fell and she shrugged. “Used to it, I guess.”

 

A man passed them with a tray of champagne (or wine? Vanya wasn’t sure) and she reached out and grabbed two. By some miracle, she dropped neither of them on the floor as she handed one over to Allison.

 

With a raise of her glass, Vanya smiled. “Sisters?”

 

The glasses clinked. “Sisters.”

**Author's Note:**

> www.delores-stan.tumblr.com <3


End file.
